


Shower Time

by polyrhythm



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-16
Updated: 2014-06-16
Packaged: 2018-02-03 15:14:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1749167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polyrhythm/pseuds/polyrhythm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a prompt on Mass Effect Kink Meme which asked for Garrus/Shepard in the military communal showers of the Normandy:</p>
<p>"So the Normandy SR-1 was a military vessel, and although you couldn't actually walk into or see where the showers/bathrooms were in ME1 I'm sure there had to be one. But it was a small ship and they couldn't had room for two bathrooms, one for women and one for men. Nor, I think, did the military see the need for it.</p>
<p>Garrus thinks it's a bit awkward to shower together with the humans, being the only turian on the ship and all. So he only go there when he really need to or late at night when the others are sleeping. One night he stands in the showers and hears the door open. There are no locks! It's a public facility after all. And here comes Shepard, all confident and used to shower next to her male counterparts in the military."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shower Time

Garrus couldn’t decide whether it was considerate or cowardly of him, but whatever it was, he had avoided the communal showers ever since he had signed up to the Normandy. It wasn’t that he was unused to the concept of them––they were standard in the turian military as well––but some part of him was uncomfortable with it, as one of the few non-humans on a human vessel. He regularly waited until absurd hours of the night to shower. And it was only when Wrex started sniffing at him from across the cargo bay that he decided it was truly necessary.  
  
“When do you shower, then?” he had asked Wrex one day.

The krogan guffawed. “Whenever I damn well please. The bathroom seems to magically clear of people when I get there.” He sniggered. “Shepard’s the only one with the quad to stick around with a naked krogan under then next showerhead.” Garrus shook his head and tried not to think about that too hard.

So he picked his shower nights carefully, when he thought the least people would be around and well after when the humans were asleep. He had so far run into someone only once; Liara, on her way out of the bathroom and mercifully already dressed, at 0200 hours. She had blushed bright blue, her lips quirking in an embarrassed smile that suggested that she, too, was uncomfortable showering with the others. Garrus pitied her; unlike him, she hadn’t had a military background.

Showering at such odd hours of the night cycle did have its perks, however. At least the water was always hot, he reminded himself as he stood under the showerhead, steam billowing around him. Humming to himself as he scrubbed, he let himself relax, until the sound of the door opening made his head turn sharply.

Commander Shepard was standing in the door frame, looking a little dazed to find over six-feet of naked turian standing in front of her.

“Uh...” Garrus said eloquently.

Shepard looked away quickly, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth despite the weariness in her eyes. “Sorry, Garrus. Didn’t mean to surprise you.”

“Uh ... no, it’s fine––” he baulked slightly as she pulled her shirt off over her head and stuffed it into the lockers near the entrance of the bathroom.

She was still talking. “I know you prefer to shower alone, but my god do I need one. My muscles scream with pain every time I move.” Removing her shoes and trousers, she grinned at the wall. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to keep my eyes off you so you can preserve your precious turian modesty.”

Garrus cleared his throat. “No, it’s fine, Commander. I suppose if anyone had to walk in on me, I’m glad it was you.”

She raised an eyebrow, looking straight at him. “Oh? Why’s that?”

He turned his body away from her a little self-consciously, but managed to keep his voice calm as he replied, “If I can follow you onto a battlefield, I guess this is nothing.”

“Hmmm.”

She gave him a smile that made him acutely conscious of the fact that now neither of them were wearing a stitch. He nervously turned his head to look at the wall. “Besides, I’m not surprised you’re tender after that beating you took today. Dislocated shoulder, wasn’t it? Were you really just going to stand there and let a charging krogan crash into you?”

He heard her laugh. “You seem to be forgetting that I was trapped in stasis at the time. Krogans and asari biotics are a terrifying combination. A real power couple, they were.”

“We should see if Wrex and Liara are interested in each other, make our own power couple.”

He heard Shepard snort with amusement. She must have been in a torturous mood, because she came over to use the shower right next to him. After a long moment of companionable, if awkward, silence, he chanced a look at her. This was the first time he had seen a naked human female up close. He spared a cursory glance at her breasts before his gaze settled rather too comfortably on the curve of her waist and the jut of her hip bone.

“What are you looking at, exactly?” she said. He jerked his eyes up to meet hers, and found she was smiling wryly at him.

Embarrassed to be caught staring, he swivelled his head back to face the wall, scratching his temple. “Do I really have to answer that?”

“I’m curious. You can’t have seen many naked humans before ... unless there’s something you’re not telling me.” He could hear the smirk in her voice. “See anything you like?”

He grumbled, low in his throat, determinedly not looking at her.

“Not interested in these at all?” She lifted her breasts, him catching the movement out of the corner of his eye.

“Not particularly. I mean, I guess they’re pretty weird but aside from that––yowch.” He cut off, mandibles flaring in a grin when she whacked his arm, pouting.

“It’s kind of irritating that you’re so blasé about them.” She gave a little hiss of pain as she drew her arm back, wincing. She paused to massage the sore muscles in her shoulder with her other hand. “God, that hurts...”

Concerned, he reached a hand out before he could stop himself, gripping her shoulder gently. “Here.” Moving carefully, he massaged the muscles in her shoulder with one hand, careful to avoid the bruises blooming on her skin. They’d fade quickly enough––medigel prioritised healing in favour of cuts that could become infected, or more serious injuries such as broken bones. He dug his thumb into her stiff muscles, thankful for her sake that his talons were filed. Shepard’s eyelids drooped and her body visibly relaxed. He took it as a good sign.

Watching the tension drain from her body was an oddly mesmerising sight. She was already so soft and curved compared to turian women, and grew even more so as her muscles relaxed. He moved his other hand to her other shoulder, admiring the sharp lines of her shoulder blades. She leant her head gently on the wall next to him, wet hair clinging to her neck. Her skin was smoother than paper. Without thinking, he ran a finger down the gentle curve of the back of her neck, and started slightly when she shivered.

His eyes sought hers, an apology half-way out of his mouth, but her expression silenced him. Her cheeks were flushed, as they often were during battle, and her eyes were sleepily direct. She was biting her lip. For some reason, the sight of her teeth stirred something in him. She was as alien to him as anything, but the weeks they had spent fighting side by side made him feel like she knew him as well as anyone. Strange and familiar at once, like the turian-human design of the Normandy. He admired her, for sure, and considered her a friend as well as his commander ... but if a turian female had been looking at him that way ... He cursed inwardly. How could he be sure human females were the same? Did he even _want_ to make a move on her?

She licked her lips, and he wound his hand through the wet tresses of her hair, fingers resting lightly against her skull.

They both took a breath, aware that suddenly a line had been crossed. Her gaze was no longer sleepy but fiery, her breasts rising with every shallow breath. Her eyes flicked over him, taking him in, resting on his slightly loosened groin plates, and when she bit her lip again he let out a soft growl. Her eyes flicked back to his. She took a step towards him, her hand grazing his waist. He sucked in a sharp breath and her expression faltered. She stilled.

“I’m afraid I’m not very good at reading turian expressions,” she said. He had never heard her sound that hesitant before. Her voice was thin.

Worried that the spell had been broken, he gently slid his hand down her back. “Turian waists are ... a little sensitive.” He swallowed when he saw her smile, shy and mischievous at once. Who would have thought that he’d get a smile like _that_ from his commander.

“Were you looking at my waist before?”

“Maybe.”

She chuckled and took another step towards him, standing still, their bodies barely touching. Then she raised a hand deliberately and stroked the softer, unplated skin of his belly. He groaned, trembling slightly. She looked up questioningly, and her smile widened when he gripped the flesh of her hip.

Their next movements were a blur. They both moved towards each other, his thigh slipping between her legs, his hands resting lightly on the small of her back. He felt drunk on the shower steam and her smell. Shepard pressed her body against his, and the softness of her skin on his made him tremble, but then the feeling––oh god, her lips––her lips were on his neck, softer still, tracing gently across his skin and then––

She was sucking on the sensitive skin of his neck. He groaned, his voice flanging uncontrollably. He’d never felt anything like it. His plates shifted and his erection pressed against her stomach. He felt her gasp against his throat, and he drew back enough to see her looking appreciatively at his swollen cock. Rumbling a little in the back of his throat, he tilted her grinning face up to his. “I certainly hope you aren’t just teasing me, Commander.”

She laughed. “Well I’m sure not any more!” Her hand wrapped around the base of his cock and his knees almost gave way. “Not now that this guy is here to see me...”

“Sh-Shepard, please,” he said, his voice coming out strangled.

She stroked him gently and he made a sound very near a whimper. “... Too much?”

“N-no...”

“Then I’ll keep going.” Her smile was slow and sweet.

His head was spinning, from the heat, his arousal, the excitement ... Were they really going to––without even talking about it––? She was his Commanding Officer! Humans had rules about this sort of thing! His mind was racing, uncertainty adding to his nerves, but her hands on him were so sure that his doubts were washed away by pleasure.

Garrus leant his head next to hers, murmuring, “Let me know if I do something wrong.” He barely acknowledged her raised eyebrow before he picked her up and pressed her against the wall, hooking her legs over his hips, hands on the soft flesh of her buttocks. It was her turn to gasp when he licked her collarbone. She tasted strange, with none of the metallic aftertaste he was used to, a mild flavour that could have simply been the water rushing over her skin. He nipped at her neck gently and she let out a startled sounding groan, lifting her hips slightly to grind against him. The feel of her––wet, hot, softer than any part of her he’d touched so far––nearly tipped him over the edge right there.

She used her hand to hold his cock in place and slid her sex up along his, her legs using his hips as leverage. They groaned in unison, his deep and resonant, hers high and breathy. Garrus almost laughed at how good it felt, and he wasn’t even inside of her yet. She was panting now, moving erratically against him. He noticed she was stroking a particular spot near the top of her folds, and moved her hand so that he could try. The sound she made when he thumbed her there was delicious; a keening, high-pitched whine. She stuttered out his name and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, lifting herself up to settle her opening over the tip of his cock.

They both gasped again, and Shepard laughed breathlessly. She slid down over him, tight, hot and wet, and he had to resist a sudden, primal urge to fuck her senselessly against the wall. Instead, he waited until her hurried breathing had calmed, waited for her to give him some sign to continue. When she looked up at him, she gave him a rueful smile.

“Alright?” he asked.

She nodded. “You’re ...bigger than I’m used to.”

His mandibles twitched nervously. “Is that bad?”

That made Shepard laugh. “God, no.” She moved her hips slightly, her expression turning teasing as he groaned. “I’m alright now, go for your life,” she purred.

Making sure his grip on her was secure and his stance was stable, he began to thrust up into her. She assisted by moving her hips, raising herself as much as she could with her legs and arms before sliding back over him again. Their movements were awkward at first, complicated by their physical differences and their position, but they slowly built up to a rhythm, their panting breaths mingling as they stared at each other. Shepard closed her eyes, and he wondered briefly if she was uncomfortable with the sight of him after all, but then she leaned in and pressed her lips to his mandible, and then to his mouth plates.

He had seen humans doing this. Kissing, it was called. But he hadn’t known that they used their tongues. When he felt her tongue flicker along his mouth plate his mouth fell open in surprise. Her tongue slipped inside and briefly touched his.

His thrusts became more frenetic, heart beating so hard he was sure she could hear it. Unsure of how to respond, he let her kiss him for a moment longer before he reciprocated, his tongue sliding along hers, tasting her mouth. She let out a strangled groan and he pinned her hard against the wall, pumping into her. She was whining again now, her moans sharp and loud, and she tore her mouth away from his to lean her head back, arms and legs quivering.

“Fuck ... Garrus, _fuck_ ––”

“Shepard...”

She keened against him, her hand returning to the nub he had found before, and with a few strokes she bucked within his arms, letting out a thin, breathless scream. Inside her, she clamped down around him and he grunted, lifting her off him before he came, splashing onto her belly and over her legs. Afraid his knees would give out, he lowered her gently to stand on her own feet and leant against the wall, both of them sucking down lungfuls of air, panting as if they had just run a mile.

“Why’d you pull out...?” she managed to say, and Garrus noticed, half guilty, half pleased, that her legs were shaking.

“Ah ... I just thought it would be ... prudent. The whole dextro/levo thing...”

“Oh,” the look on her face said clearly that she hadn’t considered it. “Right.” They stood there, catching their breath, staring at each other.

The water went cold.

Shepard shrieked and Garrus let out a similarly undignified sound, both of them scrambling away from the spray. Their mirrored expressions of shock reduced them to helpless laughter as they dried themselves off, Shepard muttering something about good timing. Garrus was inclined to agree.

They had both dressed and exited the bathroom before they turned to each other, unsure of what to say. Eventually, Garrus settled on saying, “How’s your shoulder?”

Shepard smiled gratefully, and both of them relaxed. “It’s fine. Thanks for ... the massage. You’ll have to give me another some time. I’ll see you tomorrow, big guy.” She gave him a wink and walked towards her quarters, a pleased spring in her step, leaving Garrus staring after her.

He headed towards the cargo bay, pleasantly buzzed, and entirely sure he wasn’t going to be getting any sleep that night. Forget Wrex and Liara, he thought, he and Shepard should give the power couple thing a try.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan fic, so please forgive me if it's not very good! I followed the conventions of a lot of the fandom stuff I've read, for example that turian waists are an erogenous zone. I hope the Anon who requested it is happy with the result. I welcome any comments or critiques you might have and hope you enjoyed it.


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